Norma Penchansky-Glasser - Sculptor

People or experiences that led me to where I am

A professor at Eastern Michigan University helped me see that this is what I wanted to do.

How I got into this field

I always loved art. But I trained as a first-grade teacher at Eastern and got a master’s of fine arts and teaching there. I taught for a few years and then had kids of my own and realized that I didn’t really want to teach.

Being part of a huge international corporation can bring employees lots of chances to change career directions, to move to different places in America or the world, and to meet diverse people and gain from their education and experiences. FYI: the Schindler Group is the largest supplier of escalators and the second largest manufacturer of elevators in the world! Globally, there are 40,000+ employees. An interesting fact is that 900 million people use Schindler equipment to “move” every day!

What I like most about my work

Playing with the clay. I find it necessary. To finish a sculpture, I go to a foundry in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to cast it in bronze. This is called a lost-wax process.

Volunteer or other experiences you might check out to learn about my field

Visit galleries, work with it (practice), take some classes. A degree in art is nice but not necessary.

Challenges and exciting changes I see in my field in the near future

Always changing. As an artist, I am always trying new things.

The kinds of training and education needed to keep up in my field

Experiment on your own, talk with others. The 11 artists at this gallery all share our ideas and our work with each other, and then we try some of each other’s ideas in our own way.

How my job impacts my family life

My family is involved and supportive.